You don’t need wires or even a smart home hub to use iHome’s new sensors

By Lulu Chang Published November 13, 2017

iHome — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Try as you might, you can’t be home all the time. But that doesn’t mean you can’t be aware of what’s going at home all the time. Here to help is iHome, which on Wednesday, November 15, debuted three battery-powered, hub-free, Wi-Fi connected smart home sensors for a more portable and flexible method of keeping an eye on your loved ones. These new wireless smart home sensors promise to alert users to leaks, motion, and open doors and windows.

As part of the iHome Control line of smart home offerings, the latest sensors work alongside iHome’s SmartPlug solutions. That means if one of these new motion sensors detects movement in a room, it can send a signal to nearby SmartPlugs to turn on the lights, fans, or other appliances. Conversely, should a sensor realize that no one has been in a room for some time, the related SmartPlug can turn off all appliances, helping to ensure that power is only being used when there are actually folks in said room.

Recommended Videos

Of course, the sensor will also immediately notify folks if a leak is detected, sending a smartphone notification so that immediate action can be taken. Sensors also features an onboard buzzer to alert family members who might be at home.

Please enable Javascript to view this content

“We’ve moved into the next generation of smart home. The first phase was about control. This next wave of products goes beyond control and into environmental triggering,” said Gary Schultz, director of business and product development at iHome.

“A truly smart home can now communicate potential costly hazards and vulnerabilities to the homeowner and offer both alerts and the ability to act without manual intervention. Our new wireless smart home sensors and SmartPlugs are hub-less and designed for easy setup, and make it affordable for people to add smart home monitoring and smart home control to any home, condo or apartment.”

Rather than depending on an electrical outlet, iHome’s sensors instead use AA batteries and small footprint form factors that claim to make them easy to mount just about anywhere. And since there’s no need to connect everything to a hub, you can use these sensors independently or in tandem with one another.

The new Motion Sensor, Dual Leak Sensor, and Door/Window Sensor all retail for $30.

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Fascinated by the effects of technology on human interaction, Lulu believes that if her parents can use your new app…

Audio / Video

It’s official: You don’t need to spend more than $100 on true wireless earbuds

Sennheiser CX 400BT

Two years ago, if you wanted a set of true wireless earbuds with features like active noise cancellation (ANC), transparency mode, wireless charging, great battery life, and great sound quality, you were looking at spending at least $180, but probably closer to $250-$300. But time has a funny way of leveling the playing field and nowhere has that been more true than in the true wireless earbuds market.

Today, you’ll still pay upward of $250 for the very best models from top-tier brands like Sony, Bose, Apple, and Jabra, but you no longer have to do that just to get access to leading-edge features. In fact, the latest cohort of true wireless earbuds priced around $100 is so good, most people won’t benefit by spending more. You may not recognize the brands, but don’t let that stop you. I've had hands-on (and ears-on) time with each of these earbuds, and they won't disappoint. Let’s take a quick look at some of the features that are most in-demand, and how much you need to spend to get them.
Active noise cancellation (ANC)

Smart Home

Don’t be left in the dark. Be hurricane-ready with these smart home tools

A person using the GoSun Sport outside.

East Coast living means four full seasons, with many states typically experiencing hot, stormy summers and cold winters -- especially in the Northeast. On top of the regular climatology that goes with this part of the country, East Coasters must also contend with a yearly hurricane window, known as the Atlantic hurricane season.

Lasting most of June through November, hurricanes are notoriously difficult storm systems to track and predict -- and they can be incredibly dangerous. They are responsible for more deaths and destruction than any other weather phenomena -- for example, there were more than 50 hurricane-related disasters, with losses over $1 billion, between 2018 and 2020.

Smart Home

Don’t sweat rising electric bills: Smart bed covers keep you cool and save money

smart bed covers keep you cool reduce your energy bill eight sleep pro cover feature lifestyle

Do you sleep well at night? According to a lot of studies, roughly half of all Americans feel sleepy during the day -- a firm indicator that their nightly sleep isn't quite as restorative as it should be. Whether it be stress (due to high electric bills, maybe?) or just a lack of comfort, poor sleep quality is nearing alarming levels.

Temperature plays a large role in that. In fact, reaching a proper room temperature is one of the most important factors for achieving high-quality, restful sleep. According to SleepFoundation.org, the ideal temperature for the bedroom is around 65 degrees.